Remembering The Night Before: How To Avoid Blackouts When Drinking

Most people have experienced waking up in the morning with very little recollection of what happened the previous night. Luckily there’s many ways to avoid blackouts when drinking. Essentially, you were drinking so much that your brain stopped being able to hold onto any discernible memories. So, once the alcohol has left your system, the night is simply a blur.

Naturally, this isn’t all that fun. For one thing, blacking out is pretty dangerous, no matter where you are. For another, what’s the point in having a great night out if you can’t remember any of the details? Not to mention, holding onto your senses can help you to avoid a lot of embarrassing situations.

Well, the good news is that there are a couple of ways to avoid blackouts. So, if you are ready to keep your future memories intact, here is what you should do:

Eat Before You Drink

This is probably one of the oldest tricks in the book. However, most people follow the opposite advice, they tend to avoid eating before they go out drinking. If you are looking to keep blackouts at bay, though, it is a good idea to scarf some food down beforehand.

See, food actually acts as a buffer. Due to this, it takes a longer time for the alcohol to be absorbed into your system. So, even if you are drinking more than usual, it will not be impacting your mind or body as quickly.

Now, what should your pre-drinking meal look like? Well, in most cases, the heavier that it is, the better. Still, this doesn’t mean that you should be reaching for pizza and burgers – although these will work in a pinch. If you really want to be good to yourself, eat something a bit healthier.

Don’t Believe the Myths – Alcohol Content Matters

How many times have you heard that you will be alright as long as you don’t mix your drinks? In fact, most people will tell you that the best way to avoid a blackout is to stick to just one type of booze. Unfortunately, this is just a myth.

At the end of the day, all that matters is how much alcohol you are consuming. So, if you drink a lot, there is a higher chance of you heading for a blackout. This is why your best option is to limit yourself to a couple of drinks. You know what your tolerance is – so be good and stick to it!

Oh, and if you imagine that you can live by the phrase “Beer before liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you’re in the clear”, think again. This is yet another made-up story. The order has no impact on how you will end up, only the quantity that you are drinking.

Keep Your Drinks Neat

There is no denying that cocktails can be delicious. If you stop to think about it, though, they aren’t great for monitoring how much you are drinking. When fruit juices or sodas mask the taste of alcohol, it is easier to down your drink without thinking about it. You may also not think twice about ordering another one. What you may not be taking into consideration, though, is just how strong these drinks are.

So, although it may not feel like much, you could actually end up drinking much more than you intended, hence the blackouts. Due to this, you have two options. First, you can give yourself a limit on how many cocktails you are going to order. Or, you can keep your drinks neat so that you won’t down them as quickly.

Be Careful When Switching Things Up

As weed has become a lot more acceptable, it isn’t uncommon to want to mix things up. However, you should be careful when mixing weed and alcohol. Otherwise, you may end up with more than a blackout – you could feel pretty sick too. Fortunately, there are a couple of rules you can follow.

First of all, opt for a high-quality strain of marijuana as this can make all the difference. Also, in this case, order actually does matter. So, you should always indulge in weed before drinking alcohol. This is probably the safest way to go about it.

At the same time, weed can delay the feelings of tipsiness. So, you may want to watch how much you drink. Otherwise, you may end up overindulging without realizing it. Try to drink a little less than you typically would.

Drink Slowly

Yes, how slowly or quickly you drink your alcoholic beverage does matter. See, the faster you drink, the more quickly the alcohol enters your bloodstream. This means that you get drunk faster. Or rather, you start to lose sense of what you are doing. This increases the likelihood of you drinking more than you can handle. Which is why keeping a slow even pace can help you avoid an alcohol blackout.

Whenever possible, try to sip at your drink rather than chugging it. This is especially true if you have already had a few. You can then enjoy your buzz without going overboard. In turn, the night won’t end up being quite so hazy.

Drink Water at Intervals

Ah, such sage advice – yet no one ever listens to it! Whenever possible, drink a glass of water. If you want to be really good, do this between every alcoholic beverage. This will slow the rate at which the alcohol reaches your bloodstream. And, as an added bonus, you won’t end up dehydrated. So, there is a good chance that you won’t suffer from a hangover either.

Can’t bear to ask for water on a night out? Then see if they have seltzer instead. It should be hydrating enough in a pinch. Club soda can also work but just make sure it doesn’t have any sodium in it. Whatever you do, ensure that you stay hydrated during the night.

So there you have it – everything you need to know to avoid a blackout when drinking alcohol. As you can see, there is no magic bullet here, just some good old-fashioned common sense. So, the next time you are headed out, you know exactly what rules to follow.